Medieval
by Useless-Materia
Summary: Set of one-shots taking old, misogynistic ideas and practices that come from Medieval and Early Modern Lit. and turning them on their head, so to speak. CHAPTER 1. Awry: Even knowing of it as he did, Zelda's own husband could not detect any hint of the affair between Zelda and Link in their exchange.


**Medieval**

_Welcome to my newest project! It's a blend of my graduate studies and my obsessive love of all things LoZ and ZeLink._

_So the basis of this group of one-shots is to take old, often misogynistic ideas that come from Medieval and Early Modern Literature (my field of graduate study) and turn them on their head, so to speak – or at least approach them from a more enlightened angle. In some situations it will be something as simple as an attempt at role reversal. I thought the world of Hyrule in Legend of Zelda was a perfect place in which to set them for a few obvious, and maybe some not-so-obvious, reasons._

_Firstly, it's a generic, hodge-podge world chalk-full of the vague conceptions we have of the European Middle Ages – of knights, castles, rural towns, etc. – and of clear-cut ideas of good and evil. _

_Secondly, despite its patriarchal undertones (helpless princess always needs to be rescued by a male hero), it's growing more equal in terms of gender relations (Zelda, the bearer of Wisdom, equal to Link as a fellow possessor of the triforce; feminine deities instead of male ones; Zelda as the prominent monarch in all stories, who aids you in your adventures more and more – Sheik, Tetra, the Light Arrows, as a Spirit, etc.).  
_

_Anyway, these reintroductions of old concepts are not meant to make them better, per say, just different. Like I said, it's an experiment. We'll see how it goes!_

**Chapter 1:**

Awry

**Zelaverse:**

Twilight Princess

**Topic 1:**

_Favourites & Royal Mistresses_

_A __**favourite**__ is an intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In medieval and early modern Europe (among other times and places), the term is used for individuals delegated significant political power by a ruler. The term is also sometimes employed by conservative writers who want to avoid terms such as "royal mistress", or "friend", "companion" or "lover" of either sex. Several favourites had sexual relations with the monarch (or their spouse), but the feelings of the monarch for the favourite covered the full gamut from a simple faith in the favourite's abilities, through various degrees of emotional affection and dependence, to sexual infatuation._

Sidebar: I'd like to think in the land of the Zelda games, patriarchy is somewhat more watered down than the medieval concept of it: that perhaps they didn't have a problem with female rulers so much, since their deities were feminine. But enough rambling! Here we go!

* * *

Sir Link knelt low in greeting to his king and queen; His Majesty, King Lancaster, acknowledged the Hero of Twilight with a respectful nod. The gentle, precise motion of Queen Zelda's hand indicated the knight's permission to rise. And Lancaster saw that Zelda's eyes did not linger a second longer than appropriate, and Link took no more time to be dismissed than protocol required.

They made no indication. They never did. Even knowing of it as Lancaster did, he, her own husband, could not detect the connection between Zelda and Link in their exchange amongst the many guests of the banquet.

After all, his queen was regal to her core, and Lancaster knew she would always honor their agreement. Like him, Zelda had the people's best interest in her heart. But Link, his wife's favourite_,_ was her one great selfishness. The tacit arrangement between the three of them was far from proper, but it was an agreement they had come to long ago; shortly before their official betrothal, his intended wife had sat him down and diplomatically and concisely explained the way of things.

The way of things was this:

After Zant, political ties were paramount to protect a land scrambling to regain its balance – the people needed a royal couple, and an heir; Zelda knew that. Prince Lancaster of Labrynia had known, too, that he needed political and militaristic strength. If the great land of Hyrule could come to such turmoil then these were precarious times indeed. And so their match had seemed a good, smart decision for their peoples.

He, just like she, had known since he was little what the true meaning of "royalty" entailed: the obligations, the expectations, the self-sacrificing lifestyle disguised with ornamentation and lavishness. In this respect, he and his wife were in complete accord: congruent viewpoints of the monarch's duty to the people. They were a well-suited match, in fact. Lancaster had honestly believed that something more might grow from a marriage to the beautiful, intelligent woman.

He had come to learn, however, that the long-sought-after Princess of Hyrule came with a caveat. And she came to him to diplomatically attempt to leverage its allowance.

It was not an easy draught to swallow; that was certain. She told him he'd see nothing. He would get a wife and an heir in both name and blood – Zelda swore she would be sure of it before all else – as well as all formalities, all proprieties of the title of king and husband. But some nights she would not come to his room. Some slow days she would be missing from the castle. Not many. But some. She swore the affair's existence would be nothing but shadows. No one would see a thing.

But he did see, that day. As she spoke, as she elaborated on her proposed compromise, the man, the fabled Hero of Hyrule – _Zelda's_ hero – stepped out from the shadows of the great hall. And Lancaster saw the way Link looked at Zelda with the fire of devotion alit in his feral eyes. And he saw the raw sense of _feeling_ written in Zelda's typically alabaster countenance when addressing her hero; it was as though she were suddenly luminant. Certainly nothing he'd seen in his bride-to-be yet.

Lancaster had known in that moment that he had the power to turn down the sham of an offer, to expose them, to cry out indignantly, jealously. And he felt the raw urge to do so bubble up like bile in the back of his throat.

But looking at them that day, he was reminded of a young maid he had once taken to back in his hometown, but of course, could never be with, and would never see again. He felt the weight of his own duty on his shoulders, knew it was on hers as well, and sensed the veiled desperation in Zelda as she awaited his response. Surely she had been burdened with enough already. To deny her request for just half of a love, selfish as it was, seemed too cruel.

He recalled words his father oft repeated: "Only a fool expects to walk away from a compromise with something he's _happy_ with; compromise is about both sides settling for something they can _live_ with."

So Lancaster had settled for Zelda's hand: her heart had never been an option. And Zelda, it seemed, settled for half of a happiness: a full one was never on the table.

Now, he watched them dance a customary waltz as the banquet went on. Nothing more than a knight and the queen. Stoicism in their hold, perfunctory movements in their dance. Never to be acknowledged in public – never to be spoken of in anything above a whisper. As they finished, Zelda returned to his side, bowing to him and extending her hand. Lancaster took it in his own and kissed it delicately – formally – and led her to her seat beside him.

As the night drew to a close, she rubbed her barely protruding stomach, where his first born grew, and leaned over and whispered to him, "Lan. May we retire soon? I am growing quite weary." And when he nodded kindly to her, she smiled and placed a gentle hand on his wrist. He was certain she had a great fondness for him, but it was a shallow pool when compared to deeper waters. At many times, Lancaster believed that he himself was the undestined one in this trio.

His heart felt hollow for this pair, their bond so set in stone and yet unable to love openly and fully – leading a half-life, as half lovers. But he could also see that even that half love was forged out of more powerful make than politics.

For it seemed that after saving the land, The Hero found his reprieve deep within his princess' heart. And King Lancaster knew that she would forever be that to Link: his princess that he battled across land and sea to rescue, his princess he fought for, bled for, would have died for.

Zelda was Lancaster's wife and Hyrule's queen. But she was eternally Link's princess.

* * *

Please let me know what you think of the concept! And what you think of the writing in general!


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